1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording method for recording an image on a thermal recording material having, on a transparent carrier thereof, a plurality of transparent thermal color developing layers which develop different hues.
2. Related Art Statement
There has been a thermal recording method for recording an image on recording paper by using a heater. According to a method described above, a thermal recording material, manufactured by applying a color former or a developer to a carrier such as paper or synthetic paper, is used so as to be heated by a thermal head of the thermal recording apparatus. The recent rapid developments in the information industry causes a desire to be able to easily obtain a color hard copy from a terminal equipment such as a computer and a facsimile. However, the structure must be arranged in such a manner that color developing mechanisms corresponding to the number of colors to be developed are mounted on one carrier and each of the color developing mechanism is operated under control for the purpose of forming a multi-color image on the thermal recording material. Therefore, a sufficient image in terms of the quality of the hues and color separation has not yet been obtained in spite of conventional great efforts.
Accordingly, the applicant of the present invention has disclosed a multi-color thermal recording material capable of forming an excellent thermal color image by providing thermally transparent type color developing layers on one side of a carrier, such color developing layers each developing a different hue.
According to the above-made disclosure, a multi-color image, exhibiting excellent hue, excellent color separation characteristics and image durability, can be obtained in comparison to the conventional methods. Furthermore, the obtained image can be made a transparent image or a reflected image.
Since thermal recording paper of the type described above has a color developing layer in the form of a multiplicity of layers, it must be subjected to a heating process in such a manner that the uppermost layer (the outermost layer) is heated so as to develop its color with a heating value which does not heat another layer and then another color developing layer is subjected to the heating process after the hue of the uppermost layer has been fixed.
However, in the above-described conventional method, there arises a problem in that color deviation cannot be prevented because the same image must be recorded by three process so as to develop its colors when an image is recorded on the multi-color thermal recording material. Therefore, it is necessary for the thermal recording material to be accurately positioned. As a result, the working efficiency has not been satisfactory.